Ocean stage



iDI'ITZZ, 1928.

O. HERMANSON OCEAN STAGE Filed July 24. 1926 m w w kinetic energy is, very Patented Apr. 24, 192 8. i

osoAa; HsaMANso OFI'NEW .YORK, n; Y. I

I Q N maf Application filedluly 24 mon surface these 'ivaves interfere to such an extent with each other thatacalni results. That theckmetic energr storedin a rolling ocean is of Vast. anio hurricane lashes the raging Waves, cannot be denied, but the localized amount of this small because; the ve locity of the Water in the rising crest of a wave is always opposed to the velocity of the Water in the adjacent sinking "trough, and if by any means you canswitchthe motion of the crest into the trough, these oppositevelocities instantly become compensated and there the ave disappears. v

That .by means 0t oil spread on the Water. a lasting calm could be attained, is out-,oi

question because of cost, there-tore the-ob ject of my present inventionis to provide an inexpensive means for calming waves with a lasting, efi'ech-a nd I attain this. object, by placing on the Water What. may be, ,de:

scribed as an inverted tubott generous pro portions which, floating on the surface, contines inside a cushion of compressed air that reacts-as a buffer on a ll approaching waives and thus calms the water vithin a largecir cle surrounding the floatingstage.

shows the floating stage on safety 'isle, moored to thebottom of the sea. Fig; 2 is a vertical section through the centrc'oit the stage, and Fig. 3 is a. horizontal section at the line ab in Fig. similar figures referring to similar carts.

In Fig. 1 the toating stage 1 is supposed to be immersed in Water 2, presenting on top a circular platform 3 with a diameter of, say 500 feet, as a safe landing field for airplanes. Being open at the bottom and airtight on top and onthe sides, which may be, say 100 feet; high, and filled underneath with compressed air at, it iskcpt' afloat by this trapped air which acts as a cushion on every Wave or undulating motion and thus secures the immobility of the platform 3 and the tranquility of the surrounding Water 2. Of course, I do not confine struction is suggested by F unt when a I y space beloiv the floor 1n the accompanying drawing. F1 4. 1

19 26. $eria'l m i24,6e5.'

the construction to any dimensions which readily can be increased if desirable, but which must begenerous if the stage shall be alluse as an airplanestation in mid ocean. v H 7 y Vith this application"inmind its conig. 2, Which a vertical section'through the centre of the stage 1, andjbyFig. 3, which is al'iorizontal section at the linenb lg. 2. 'llhese diagrams show the two concentric cylindrical partitions 5 and 6,,Which are for-min ring shaped compartments, closed at the bottoni byfloors 7 and 8, and in the, centre the circular con'ipartn'ient 9. Below the floor, 7 there is the conical support 10 joining the lower rim of; the outer cylindrical shell 11, and the cone 12 in the centre. and partitions furnish the struct ure with a compact and solid frame and being alrtight, they Will keep the stage afloatit by any accident the compressed air 4: underneath shouldes'cape. Of course, many more partitionsmay be inserted and the compart ments may be divided by 011601 more horizontal hours or, deck, this depend'l thesizeofithc Whole and on the various uses itf's to be put to. I I y i "In Fig. 3 radial partitions 13 and l i-are Shawna subdivide the rin shaped spaces belowthe upper deck and :ular radial vertical partitions may] co'nral pportm g the H00 8, which .n

eap plied between the ll s 510 and 12, below partmentsyopen at t-hebottom;

. These floors subdivide they-Thole nto" number of CO Di his is ;to

'so i act against storms an'd' heavy V seas which i 5' rock ;the whole stagean d, without such partitions, cause an undulating connnotion of the enclosed Water in the botton'i of the stage, that will be prevented by such partitions. I

Reaching from the bottom of the Well 15, shown in F ig. 2, to the tom of the sea l7, shown in Fig. 1, is the mooring cable 18. In greater depth of the ocean this cable 18 will have a considerable length and consequently a very heavy weight. In order to cut down its Weight I build this cable 18 in sections joined by buoys 19 the buoyancy of which is so calculated that each buoy floats its own Weight together with the weight of the section of the cable 18, next below it. In this manner the upper sections have not to carry the Weight of the lower sinker 16 on the botit sections of the cable 18, which consequently can be built of a uniform strength, merely suflicient to hold the stage to its moorings.

The uppermost buoy 19 is shown in Fig. 2 in the bottom of the well 15, resting on a' split socket 20, so that when this buoy is raised, the socket 20 can be removed and the buoy released slipping down the well into the sea. This is a precaution in case of danger, for instance, when an iceberg is bearingdown upon the stage. Then the latter in a few minutes can be released from the mooring cable 18 and may be towed out of the path of the iceberg and after this has passed the floating buoy may be picked up and pulled back into the well. 15 where the socket 20 will be replaced to hold the cable.

For service in the North Atlantic the stage may be built of steel plate and will not cost more than a ship of moderate size. Intropical waters, however, iron and steel soon succumb to the inroads of vegetable and life, therefore in such localities it will be preferable to build the stage of reinforced concrete, ent ways, and if a stage originally is built for some single purpose it soon will be found profitable to use it for several other pur poses. For instance, if across the Atlantic in a space of, say 3000 miles, four stages are interpolated 600 miles apart, such a distance readily will be covered by an airplane in 5 to 6 hours, and with relays on every stage the Atlantic will be crossed in 24 to 30'hours,

and there will be a sufficient demand for fast mail to pay the trip, besides passenger service that will be attractive not only to business men who value their time, but to many by its novelty and also to many who are afraid of sea sickness. Starting from Newfoundland two stages might suifice'and the Atlantic be crossed inabout 18 hours.

If such a stage line across the Atlantic primarily has been established for aerial navigation only, it will naturally be patronized by sportive motor craft to which it guarantees safe passage, and the several stages, provided with wireless, will become centres for a life saving service, meteorological stations," and animal which may be done in many differ fool for all sorts of scientific observations. Submarines can safely approach the calm water around the stage and they may dive outside and rise inside the tank, as aport where they may undergo repairs, or merely may tie up until the crew recuperates. Fishery, so far confined to the shallow waters near coasts, will find the depth of the ocean unlocked around the stages, where fish may be caught in deepklragging nets and may be canned and cured on the spacious premises of the stage.

Vith' a power plant on board the stage for lighting at night and for all sort of work, air pumps willserve in renewing theair under the stage and in maintaining 1ts' pressure. 'l l ot the least will be the service of such stages in protecting harbor approaches and canals in time of war carrying heavier guns than can be mounted on battleships, with a steady plat-form they will prove fioating'Gibraltars and Heligolands and will hasten final abolition of the folly of naval warfare.

In order still more to increase the tranquilizing effect of the air cushion under the stage and to prevent its absorption by the water below and inside the stage, this may be covered with a film of oil. Of course, this could not be crude petroleum containing volatile fractions that soon will fill the air above with an explosive gas to blow up'the whole, but must be heavier oil from which all volatile fractions have been boiled out.

0 Having described in the foregoing my invention, what I claim as such and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is: I

The combination of a maritime structure, comprising a tank with open bottom, with a substantial body of compressed air, filling the tank from top to bottom, so that this body of compressed air and the water underneath can move without obstruction up and down within the tank, in order to serve as a buffer for the purpose of calming the waves aroundthe tank, substantially as described in the foregoing.

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